I have read several books by Hannah Moskowitz, but TEETH is by far my favorite. Weaving magic realism into a story about illness, friendship, family and first love, all with Moskowitz‘ signature sense of voice TEETH blew me away. Completely.
Simon Pulse, January 2013.
TEETH is the story of Rudy, who never wanted to be on the island in the first place. It’s an island where people with incurable illnesses come to be cured by the magic fish only found in the surrounding waters. Rudy is there because of his brother, whose cystic fibrosis is finally beginning to improve. Rudy is one of the only kids his age on the island, and fears he is doomed to being a loner. But then he meets Fishboy, a terribly ugly creature, part fish and part boy, who occasionally talks to Rudy. Fishboy is abrasive, strange, and alluring. Perhaps more alluring than the strange girl Diana, with whom he’s been secretly meeting. And as Rudy and Fishboy — or Teeth, as he’s named himself — grow their relationship, Rudy discovers that the island holds appalling, violent secrets, and that Teeth himself will bring a conflict to the forefront that could destroy Rudy’s family.
TEETH is haunting. And beautiful. And horrible. Horrible in that heartbreaking, terrifying way, awe-inspiring. I can’t recommend this book enough. I have a feeling that this December I’ll still be calling TEETH one of my favorites of the year.
